BEST BIKE TO RENT IN INDONESIA
Beginners guide to Indonesian motorbikes

Indonesia, like much of Southeastern and greater Asia, is heavily reliant on small motorcycles for transportation. Commonly you will see full families riding on one bike, two kids, a mother and father. They are the unsung heroes, the workhorses that allow these countries to function. The Uber equivalent “grab” is powered by these bikes, gone is the dilemma of a 30$ taxi ride home after a long night out. A grab bike may only cost one or two dollars and will have you home and drinking water in short time. The allure of freedom that bikes offer is enticing to those of us that have come to Indonesia. Traveling is exploration, and there is no better way to enjoy than with a bike. Picking a random landmark on a map and riding to it, the wind flowing gently through your brown locks. Rental places are a dime a dozen, and the price can be quite different from one place to another. One thing is constant; there are usually about 5 different styles of bike. Here, I will go into the pros, cons, and varied prices of each.

1) Honda Vario 125cc

The Honda Vario can and will do everything you need. It is a liquid cooled, fuel injected 125cc bike, giving a real safe top speed of 105 kph. The Vario may be the most common and it is certainly the most well rounded. It is small and maneuverable, powerful enough to carry two people up a mountain road, and has a lot of functional space. Under the seat you will find a large compartment and beside the steering column are two cup holders for those coffees on the go. The only negatives I have noticed in my time piloting a Vario is the leg space is a bit cramped. For some larger riders you may notice the fairings hitting your knees over bumps. It may seem a bit nit picky, but just wait until you have to go over a rough Indonesian path, those knees better be ready. Price point on this should be the second cheapest bike offered; in Bali you can find a Vario as low as 40k idr per day. This amounts to the Honda Vario 125 being the best value for all of those looking to explore the islands.

2) Honda Vario 150cc

The 150cc version of the Honda Vario is the exact same bike as the 125cc. only difference being the engine. The extra 25cc gives the bike a bigger punch when you need it. It can be very useful for mountain roads of for just passing slower traffic on the cramped streets. You will pay for the extra boost in rupiah as these bikes can cost almost double the 125cc version. In my estimation the cost is too high for the extra bit of speed and power but regardless a Vario is a Vario, and 150 is more then 125. If you can find a good deal the Vario 150 could be the best ride in town.

3) Honda Scoopy

The Scoopy is a bike built to look like an old Vespa but ride, and function like a modern bike. It does both; it looks cool and has tons of functional space. Contrary to the Vario you have plenty of legroom. Another really nice touch is a rain safe compartment instead of a second cup holder on the front fairing. Inside the compartment is a 12v cigarette lighter style plug. The days of worrying about the battery in you phone are a thing of the past. This thoughtful design feature is great for those of us traveling and enjoying long ride. The cons about the Scoopy are within in its power plant. The 110cc air-cooled engine gives us plenty of power in the city. If you decide to head out to explore a mountain road, you will find the steep hills can pose a small issue for the Scoopy. I find myself wishing for the liquid cooled 125cc of the Vario to carve through the mountains with ease and splendor. You also often find the pricing for a Scoopy on par with or a bit more expensive then the Vario. Overall the style and comfort make the Honda Scoopy a really good choice for nearly everyone, just don’t expect to have your best mate sit on the back as you head into more extreme landscape.

4) Honda N-Max 155cc

The N-Max is like the Cadillac of riding on two wheels. A big faring and comfortable footboards allow for a cruiser style riding position. There is plenty of room for 2 on the long plush saddle. The 155cc liquid cooled engine produces plenty of power for any occasion making long curvy roads a thrill ride. Another nice and often overlooked feature of the N-max is the fuel tank and filled cap placement. The central fuel tank lowers the center of gravity and leads to better balance overall. The filling cap is also located within arms reach, so while all others must get off their bike and lift the seat to fuel. You just pull up in your plush ride, twist the cap off that’s located right between your feet and away you go. At this point you might be wondering how I have slotted three bikes ahead of the N-Max, well I will tell you. They are very expensive to rent as you might imagine, easily double the price of my beloved Vario. Another thing to consider is they are big; it’s like piloting a boat. Anyone familiar with the craze of Indonesian traffic will know that being light an agile is at a premium within the congested streets. Meaning to me the N-Max is not really a practical bike to rent for short day to day errands. If you plan to tour the unknown the comfort and balance of the N-Max is well worth the extra price tag.

5) Honda Beat

Coming in last on our list is the Beat. It’s a basic and well functioning motorbike. It has the same engine as the scoopy without the comfort of the cockpit design. The styling trends more towards the Vario but without the do it all engine. The Beat is fine for city driving and getting from point A to B. it should also be the cheapest bike available. The Beat does nothing exceptional except it is a good fiscal value. Making the Honda Beat a very viable option for those trying to pinch a penny. With that said the Honda Beat comes in at number 5 for me.

There are plenty of other bikes out there, but for the Indonesian travelers these 5 are the most readily available. All of them are automatic transmission, scooter style bikes, with controls operated by the hands and foot position is in front of the seated rider. Remember every price is negotiable and if you can offset the cost, these bikes would certainly be listed in a different order. Drive safely and enjoy the beauty and freedom of being your own tour guide atop two wheels.

I plan to go to Cusco in july next year . Do you know any possibility to be welcomed by local. I heard there is a frenchman providing accommodation . Anybody knows?

In Mexico City, we stayed at Hotel Castropol. It is in the Centro Historico, a 5-10 minute walk from the Zocolo. The Hotel was recently redone and beautiful. The rooms are small, but adequate. There is a restaurant that we didn’t go to. Make sure to ask not to be near the loud elevator or the street. There is no air conditioning, so windows are open. Each street in the Centro is devoted to a different type of product. There is a street full of what look like prom dresses. A street full stationary etc. It was fun to just walk around. We went to a 24 hour diner/bakery type place called Café Popular for many meals. They had traditional Mexican meals and things like pancakes (with caramel topping!!). Also, look for the bakeries where you get a large aluminum pizza style tray to put tons of goodies on. They are amazing. Our kids liked the Aztec ruins near the Zocolo (they did not love the museum much to my dismay – it was dark and may be a bit scary?), the large cathedral by the Zocolo, and the highlight was the Ballet Folklorico. It went late at night, but our whole family was absolutely mesmerized. The Palacio de Bellas Artes where the ballet takes place is worth a visit even if you aren’t going to watch the ballet. It is a really amazing structure. We happened to run into Pride in the Zocolo the last weekend in June. This was a truly amazing celebration. And I’ve been to Pride in Chicago and Boston. It was lively to say the least. We used Uber, which was cheap, and didn’t feel the need to figure out public transport. We traveled with a Bubble Bum. It is an inflatable booster seat that doesn’t take up much space and isn’t heavy. We Ubered to Frida Kahlo’s house (Such a tranquil garden, beautiful artwork and a story of a strong woman our girls could relate to) and the zoo (really great and surrounding park has tons of great play structures and paddle boats). We took a tourist bus to Teotihuacan. Our girls were able to climb the pyramids. It was the best part of my 9 year old’s trip and 6 year old says it was a nightmare, but she actually smiled the whole time. We did not get a guide so we could go at our own pace. We used or Lonely Planet book as a guide because it has a nice description of the history etc. There is a restaurant with a huge playground, great food and cool patio with a fountain at El Ranchito. I am not sure that we saw any people from the U.S. the whole time we were in Mexico City. I felt like we got a good taste of what life in a big, bustling city was like. There were tons of other things we would have done had we been there longer.

Puerto Escondido is a fishing town turned surfer town. It is so layed back. Flip flops are the dress code. We stayed in Quinta Carrizalillo. The room was like a studio apartment. We had a small couch, table and full kitchen. The pool is in the shade, which was great for our red-head who can’t do too many hours in the sun. You can get bubbles of purified water and beach towels are provided. It is close walking distance to two beaches that are swimmable. Playa Carrizalillo has over 100 steps down to the water. You don’t have to bring chairs because you can pay for lounge chairs under umbrellas or buy enough food from one of the restaurants to have a table for the day. The kids were tickled with drinking from a coconut and eating shrimp cocktail right on the beach. I didn’t mind being served drinks either. We bought a swim mask and were able to see cool fish and a sea turtle (my husband’s favorite part of the trip). The water was 86 degrees, so no trouble getting in! We just floated in the water most of the day. It was pretty crowded, but we were there in off-season, so not too bad. This beach is in an inlet with high, rocky ledges surrounding it, making for beautiful scenery. I could have stared all day. We went to Playa Angelito the next day. It is a longer walk, but very few stairs. The waves are really, really calm here. And the beach has more space. The restaurants are huge. There are also a lot of tourist boats that leave from here. So there is a faint smell of gas the whole time. That said, my kids had a blast.

If you are wondering if you too can go on a complicated trip with kids like I was a couple of months ago, the answer is yes! The planning was a lot of work, but the look in their eyes as they experienced new things was worth every minute of planning. I know we will all remember this forever.

Thank you so much for all the advice we got here. We now feel like we could go almost everywhere, which is great because we spent the previous decade sticking to pretty safe/boring trips. If anyone has any questions about traveling with kids or our specific destinations, let me know.

Our full itinerary and info about Oaxaca are in different posts

In the last month, I saw these things at the movies:

Guilty - Danish movie about a suspended policeman trying to solve a crime over the telephone from the call centre. ***
**Woman at War - Icelandic movie about an ecological militant who goes all the way. *
**The Strange Ones - Two young men on the run from... what exactly? Nothing good. **
**Dogman - Italian movie about a combined dog groomer and cocaine dealer who does time for the town thug. **
**Neuilly Sa Mère, Sa Mère - French movie. Sequel to a success from 9 years ago about arab boy being sent to live with his rich relations (Prince of Bel Air, anyone?). In the sequel, it is the rich family who has gone bankrupt and has to move in with the poor family. **
Dark River - British movie about a battle between brother and sister over a bankrupt farm in Yorkshire. *
**Interrail - French high school graduates go on a summer rail trip across Europe. *
Unsane - the Steven Soderbergh iPhone movie about a woman being locked up in an insane asylum **
Ant-Man and the Wasp - I confess that I fell asleep during part of it. I get narcolepsy from fight scenes, chase scenes and battle scenes. **
My Favourite Fabric - Syrian movie about trying to deal with three daughters (marriage) at the beginning of the civil war. **
Hotel Artemis - Jodie Foster runs an emergency clinic for criminals in Los Angeles in 2028. *
**The Looming Storm - Chinese movie about an industrial city in its last polluted gasp, complete with serial killer and investigator in constant rain. *
**The Charmer - Danish movie about an Iranian refugee trying to get papers by marrying a local woman. ***
**Mission Impossible 6 - more narcolepsy. I even missed some scenes that I had seen in the trailer. Completely outlandish plot. *
There's No Place Like Home - Italian smash success about a big family getting together on an island for a 50th wedding anniversary. Big storm so ferry service suspended, so all of the family secrets and grudges come out. Impermeable to non-Italians. *
The Children Act - Emma Thompson is sensational as a family affairs judge, even though the plot went a bit awry. **
**Mario - Swiss movie about two members of a soccer team who fall in love with each other. The sports world is still not gay-friendly, it seems. **
**The Miseducation of Cameron Post - young lesbian gets locks up in a facility to "cure" her. Chloë Grace Moretz was good. *
**Under the Silver Lake - Andrew Garfield investigates very strange happenings in Los Angeles, but maybe he's the one who is crazy. I absolutely loved this movie. ***
**Mary Shelley - I am not a big fan of period drama, but the whole world of the Shelleys, Lord Byron and the other pervs held my interest. **
**Fleuve Noir - alcoholic policeman Vincent Cassel investigates the death of a teenager in the woods. Teacher Romain Duris is the prime suspect, so obviously it is not going to be him. **
**The Spy Who Dumped Me - totally ridiculous, but good fun some of the time. About 30% of the gags fall flat. ***

I would be totally broke by now if we didn't have an unlimited movie card in France that only costs 20 euros a month. You can see any movie you want as many times as you want in about 95% of the cinemas in Paris.

Hi planning a trip to Sri Lanka April next year. Have been before and travelling with another couple this time. We only have time to go to either Jaffna or Trinacomlee . Can anyone offer any recommendations